A pioneering peanut allergy clinic has celebrated treating its 100th patient through its groundbreaking immunotherapy treatment.

The Cambridge Peanut Allergy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital is the only one of its kind in the UK.

Founded on work of the world’s leading allergy experts, Dr Pamela Ewan and Dr Andrew Clark, the clinic exposes patients to gradually increasing levels of peanut protein mixed with yoghurt-type products.

The treatment, which was developed in response to figures showing one in 50 children suffer from allergies, involves seven sessions, a fortnight apart.

Dr Andrew Clark

Huge levels of demand followed the coverage of successful trials in 2014, but the treatment was unable to secure NHS funding, leaving it an option only for paying patients.

Further work is being conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment in the hope it could one day become available on the NHS.

Dr Clark said: “We are absolutely delighted with the feedback we’ve received from parents and their children about this new treatment.

“Our work to improve and monitor the success of the treatment continues with the ambition of getting accreditation from the regulatory authorities and funding to provide it via the NHS.”

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One patient’s mother, who did not want to be named, said the treatment's effect was "life-changing".

She said: "I really didn't think we were strong enough to go through this, but with the help of other parents and the brilliant team, we've come a long way already. Thank you for developing it, not a cure, but a miracle for families like us."

"My daughter seems to be taking the changes in her stride; I think I'll be in shock for a while longer! I had tears in my eyes when I first told people just how fantastic the changes to her life were."

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Another patient, who also did not want to be named, said: "The nurses were nice and explained everything perfectly and I liked having my peanut medicine every day and that I got my body used to peanuts."